Saturday, July 29, 2006

Well, Persnickety, my black otter doe, has failed to conceive once again. So, I am offering her up for sale as a wooler, no pedigree. She produces about 8 or 9 oz at a 90 day clip, so she's no slouch. And IF she ever does deliver a litter, whoever owns her can bet I'll be wanting to buy any tan pattern babies from her. She is about 75% German, her sire is 50% new import bloodlines. I am asking only $30.00 for her, but you do have to come and get her. I'll be at Christine Oliver's house in Mass. for the fiber gathering she is hosting on Aug. 6th., however, so anyone in NY or points NE from there could pick her up there. I do have a PayPal account, please contact me at jansgiants@hotmail.com for more information.

I also have a 7 week old blue tan doe for sale. I had thought I had someone lined up for her, but that person has not responded to my emails. So, unless I hear from her again, this beautiful baby is first come, first serve. She and her sister are pictured in the blog if you scroll down a bit. I am also asking $30.00 for her.

I'm also considering selling some fiber. I have a few pounds of white clipped and a few ounces of chocolate and a few ounces of black, both clipped. I'm thinking $6.00 an ounce, let me know if you are interested.

The Thrianta crosses look very promising! My favorite, a copper, looks like a buck, he is big, round, and has beautiful color. Hopefully he also carries a Tan gene. I'm definitely keeping him! Another favorite is a big, deep, dark red, round bunn who looks like a doe. These babies would be ideal for someone looking to develop red English or German hybrid Angoras, or is looking to improve the belly color in their Satins. Interested? Let me know.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

It's taken me awhile to work up to posting this. I lost Dumpling, aka Abundant Fastnacht, recently. I came home from work one evening, and checked on Carmie's litter. They were fine. I looked down at Dumpling in the bottom cage, where I'd moved her after breeding her to Cody. She'd gone a little off her feed, but I took comfort in that, as it is typical of her when she is bred. She looked fine, lounging on her EZ rest, and even tolerated a head scritch from me. When I came back a couple hours later to feed, she was dead.

I tearfully picked her up. She wasn't my favorite doe, but it still hurts me when I lose one, especially a good one. Dumpling had the finest Giant ancestry in the country. When I could get her bred, she was a good mama. She was also my best wool producer. She was still warm, but stiffening.

I later learned that a son of hers had passed similarly. I have heard other stories of Giants and Germans passing suddenly like this. Is it an inherent weakness? I don't know. I do know that she was an excellent rabbit, and I still want her bloodlines, so I am pursuing obtaining one of her grandkids.

The American Kennel Club's (AKC's) homepage has dropped its "Feature" PAWS highlight graphic and hotlink, after headlining it for more than a year. The homepage deletion at this time is the equivalent of hiding an embarrassing relation or concealing a major blunder. They'll be no registry mea culpas or public acknowledgements of failure or mistake, just ongoing efforts to distort the facts about S1139. When I posted a preview of this message July 11th on a pet owner blog, AKC immediately responded with a simplistic, knee-jerk "stay the course" update on July 12th. How pathetically predictable. You decide who has been more truthful and right about PAWS, from June 4, 2005 to today. Sen. Santorum may make one last futile PAWS gesture for AKC and HSUS, but Congress isn't buying it. He's in a lose-lose politically dead situation, whatever he does. Rep. Gerlach, the HR2669 introducer, is also in the same position.

This misadventure and attack on other pet registries led by Chairman Ron Menaker cost the AKC untold $$ and loss of trust and goodwill of animal owners throughout the nation. AKC's registrations are at a 40 year low. Its financially motivated PAWS collaboration with the animal rightist Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and parochial and inbred views have made it politically untrustworthy. No federal legislator will accept AKC's word for a very long time. Too many were whipsawed by AKC and HSUS and don't appreciate being lied to, blindsided and having their outraged constituents emailing and calling them for months. Many fellow animal owner groups and registries feel much the same. Few will consider our flagship canine registry anything but an animal rightist Quisling and disreputable competitor in the future. AKC's recent, selective responses to HSUS's anti-breeder, anti-hunter initiatives and its continuing efforts to steal coonhound registrations from the UKC and PKC reinforce these conclusions.

Dog News, the unofficial registry show newspaper, apologist and spin organ, is lobbying for director term limit by-law changes to permit Menaker and his cronies to avoid the term limits adopted in 2001 and keep control indefinitely. Nothing could be more disastrous for American purebred dog owners. All of the current AKC directors may run for at least another four years, including Walter Goodman, who first won a seat in the 1980's, where James Holt joined him as a director. Only a complete management change, true dedication to pure bred dog ownership and sportsmanship and a reversion to its abandoned mission statement will save the AKC.

You never say "never" in politics. The NO PAWS team of Kelly Wichman (Dog Federation of Wisconsin), Susan Wolf (North Carolina Responsible Animal Owners' Alliance) and myself will continue to monitor DC events through adjournment. The two of them have been wonderful partners in this fight and we want to thank each and everyone of you who contacted legislators opposing PAWS or facilitated your club joining the NO PAWS Honor Roll. http://saova.org/1139opponents.html Our Hill friends and agricultural community supporters broadened our opposition effort and assured its success. We couldn't have beaten HSUS, DDAL, PETA and AKC without you all. We're especially indebted to those whose donations made our Roll Call advertisement possible. http://www.nopaws.org/SAOVA_Ad_RollCall_Logo.pdf To those smaller parent breed clubs that didn't oppose PAWS and the many specialty club leaders that believe anything issued by AKC's PR department, pronounced from the delegate meeting podium or on the delegate's elist: You're hurting yourselves, your dogs and the fancy. Take the time to review your priorities and commitments. Get involved. Think analytically, critically and independently. Be demanding and insist on accountability. Make the needed difference.

The animal rightists are currently on a pet anti-breeder tear in California, New Mexico, Texas and the Midwest. Virgorously respond to these local threats as most did to PAWS. A very timely, important self-protection message from Missouri Federation of Animal Owners' President Karen Strange is attached. Please take the time to read it. Not only is control of the U.S. House at stake this November, state, county and city elections will decide the future of pet ownership more and more.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

I have pics of my 2 Blue Tan Angora babies, and of Carmie's litter sired by a Thrianta buck. Here are the Blue Tans, at about 5 weeks of age:

And here is Carmie's litter. I'd like to note that my intial look at the litter wasn't too accurate, there are 7 kits, not 6, and there are 5 reds and 2 coppers:

There is a runt in the litter, who I missed during my first look. I found him the night before last, and he was pretty scrawny. I gave him about 5 minutes alone with Carmie, and when I checked them all today to get this photo, she had just fed them and his little belly was absolutely full! :)

I hate to check them, when I put them back Carmie was very upset with me and stepped on one of them in her haste to "protect" them from my intrusion. Now that I see Runt is fending well for himself, I'll skip a day and see how it goes.

So what wil I do with this litter? Statistically, half of them should have inherited a Tan gene from Carmie. But which ones? Well, I need a buck with a Tan gene. So I most likely will keep all the bucks and test breed each to a different doe.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Recently I was asked to share a story that pertains to upcoming elections.

Two years ago, I attempted to import some Blanc de Hotots to the USfrom England. As you know, Hotots are some of the rarest of the ARBArecognized breeds and the gene pool here in the US was quite limited.These rabbits were meant to keep alive a breed that only a handful ofthe truly dedicated people were willing to work with.

Although my rabbits were competely documented with health certs andleg bands, they were stopped by an ambitious US Fish & Wildlifeofficer who was convinced that these were wild rabbits. She"informed" me that all rabbits currently in this country were bornhere and these rabbits were on a list of animals to be denied importation.

Of course, Hotots had been my only breed choice for years and beingfaced with a F&W officer who insisted on sending back my long soughtafter rabbits was a terrifying perspective so I called ARBA and spokewith Glenn Carr. I expained to him that the customs people wanted thescientific name of the rabbit and if it matched the name of theEuropean Wild Rabbit, they would be denied entry into this country.Mr. Carr was unable to locate the scientific name of the domesticrabbit but he did give me the number for Dr. Hayhow, whom he was surewould know. I frantically called Dr. Hayhow, as the Fish & Wildlifeofficer was planning on sending then back on the next flight toEngland and I only had a few hours to try to rectify the problem. Iexplained my situtation to Dr. Hayhow whose response was summed up bysaying "Who gave you this number? This is not an emergency. Why areyou calling me?". I spent well over $1000 to import these rabbits into this country. Our Hotot gene pool was dangerously inbred and Ineeded a two word answer. I pleaded with Dr. Hayhow. Two words.It's all I needed and I was desperate and in tears.

He hung up on me.

My rabbits were sent back to England.

Fortunately for me Pat Lamar was able to get me in touch with someoneat the main office of Fish & Wildlife. Between the help of Vermont'sSenator Leahy; The Chief of Congressional Affairs and Mr. Jackson atFish and Wildlife, my rabbits were returned to me 5 days later at myexpense. One rabbit broke his back on the return trip to the US andof course, nothing could be done for him.

To this day, I have never understood why Dr. Hayhow felt so inclinedto hang up on me. I needed his help. Dr. Hayhow wasn't there for meor my rabbits the last time he was President.If he is elected once as again as President, let's hope you don't needhis help either.

Sincerely,Aimee Tanguay-BrownBOB Hotot ARBA Convention '02-'04

Permission to cross-post granted. :)

Dr. Hayhow is a fine, extremely knowledgable man, but I don't think his actions show that helping ARBA members will be his first priority. I remember Aimee's story when she first posted it about 2 years ago, and I recall that Dr. Hayhow was upset because she called him at work. At that time, I *believe* Dr. Hayhow was Vice President of ARBA.

I support Cindy Wickizer for ARBA President. Cindy is retired, and has the time to make ARBA her priority. She has been proactive in working to prevent NAIS and PAWS from impacting rabbit breeders adversely. She is friendly, approachable, and the best choice for the job, IMO. Please vote for Cindy Wickizer for President!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Carmie finally gave birth last night to 6 babies - 3 reds, and 3 copper or tans. 6 is a nice number, all will be well fed, but it is the smallest number that I am happy with. I like to see 6 - 10 babies, as I expect to lose 1 or 2. But for Carmie, who is a nervous mom, smaller is better. I don't feel like I have to check that they are all fed like I do with bigger litters. And she is much happier when I don't check on them. She doesn't really relax until they are weaned, like some people I know! :)

In the future, I think she'd be much happier with a dropped nestbox like Bass sells. I have 2 of them, not installed yet. I mean to put them in my newest outdoor cages, but the floor wire is so thick on them that I can't cut it, I'm waiting for DH to " get around to it". :(

Meanwhile, Sunset's litter is a delight. Every single bunny in the litter is bright and friendly. Friendliest of all is one little Tan angora, I'd swear this one is a buck by its behavior, but it looks like a doe upon closer inspection. But, I have been wrong before! I hope I am again!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

I did all my picnicing over the weekend, so today I worked (at home). I sheared Mopsie because she was stressing over the heat - even tho' she is inside. An 80 day interval yielded 8 ounces of prime so far - I haven't done her belly yet. Her stress over heat concerns me, she is always the first to stress. So, even tho' she is inside and freshly shorn, I won't be breeding her just yet. Even tho' she's made it clear she's in the mood!

I left Dumpling in with Cody for a week, she'll be staying inside to see if she conceived. If not, she'll be looking for a new home. While she is my top wool producer, a doe that cannot or will not conceive when bred has no place here. I was hoping for a litter with Snowman, but it looks like that will not happen. Maybe Cody will have better luck.

Persnickety is in the same boat as Dumpling. She had a successful (as far as Cody is concerned) breeding, if it does not take this time, she'll be looking for a home, too. Considering she and Cody go back to my wonderful, dear departed Billy, I really, really want a litter from these two. However, I will only try for so long, then it's time to cut losses and go with what works - the first time.

Sunset's litter of 8 has turned up 4 angoras so far - no surprise there! 2 of the angoras are Blue & Tan, 1 REW, and 1 blue. Both tans appear to be does - of course, since I need a tan buck! However, the Magic Sex Change Fairy may pay us a visit, she's been here before, lol! If not, I will have a Blue & Tan angora doe available.

Carmie, my Choc Tan angora doe, who was bred to a Thrianta buck, started nest building today, which is when she is due. No wool pulling yet, but she is a last-minute nest builder. I expect shorthaired Coppers and Reds from this breeding, unless the buck carries Tan (I hope he does!). All these babies will be 1/2 angora, but if the buck does not carry Tan, then it will be difficult to determine which (if any) of the bucks in this litter do. In that case, only test breeding will tell.